Attracting research funding is one of the key measures on the road to academic independence and success. There are plenty of options as a postdoc to apply for national and international research grants and scholarships depending on your career level. The list of funding opportunities below is not exhaustive but should give you a general overview of what is available. Please click on the different career level and funding schemes in order to see more details.
Research Funding
If you require individual advice for specific funding schemes please contact, depending on your affiliation, either the research department of the University (where you can also receive information on research data management) or the UMG. Both departments have designated offices for EU research funding (University,
UMG). If you are based at one of the non-university institutions on Göttingen Campus please contact the respective research funding offices (MPI-nat Research Support and EU Liaison Office; DPZ Unit Research Coordination (FoKo)).
Please make sure that you familiarize yourself with the eligibility criteria of various funding agencies concerning the cut-off dates for applying for fellowships. Especially the highly attractive longer term or junior group funding schemes (e.g. Emmy Noether, Sofja Kovalevskaja, ERC) are varying in this regard. For some the cut-off date is the date of your PhD certificate, for others it is that of your thesis defense. Further details are available here.
Funding Opportunities
2nd Friday of February to enter the spring selection round with results being announced in June; 2nd Friday of August to enter the autumn selection round with results being announced in December
Walter Benjamin Programme (DFG)
Research Grants including "Eigene Stelle" (DFG)
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship for Postdocs (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
Feodor Lynen Return Fellowship (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
PRIME - Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience (German Academic Exchange Service DAAD)
Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellwoships
DKFZ Postdoctoral Fellowships (DKFZ - Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum)
Dr. Rurainski Fellowships at DKFZ (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum)
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships (EMBO)
ETH Zurich Postdoctoral Fellowships
Postdoctoral Fellowships (Peter and Traudl Engelhorn Foundation)
The Daimler and Benz Foundation Scholarship Program
Mildred-Scheel-Postdoc Program (Deutsche Krebshilfe)
Lise Meitner Excellence Program (Max Planck Society) – only female scientists
Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators (Eppendorf)
Emmy Noether-Programme (DFG)
ERC Starting Grant
Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science (ETH Zürich)
Fraunhofer Attract (Fraunhofer)
Fritz Thyssen support of Research Projects in Medicine and natural sciences
Young Investigator Groups (Helmholtz Association)
Leibniz Junior Research Groups (Leibniz Association)
Max Eder Junior Research Groups (Deutsche Krebshilfe)
Research Units (DFG)
BMWK funding scheme “EXIST Transfer of Research” for University-Based Business Start-Ups
ERC Consolidator Grant
ERC Advanced Grant
Heisenberg-Programme (DFG)
Reinhart Koselleck Projects (DFG)
Mildred-Scheel-Professur (Deutsche Krebshilfe)
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship for experienced researchers (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
Research Grants (DFG)
Research/lab visits or short-term research grants (sorted by funder)
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
Travel Grants (Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds)
Short-term research fellowships for marine research projects (BMBF)
Short-term research fellowships for terrestrial research projects (BMBF)
Short-term research fellowship for Postdocs (DAAD)
Max Kade Foundation Fellowship Programme (DFG)
Albert Einstein Scholarship (Daimler and Benz Foundation)
Scientific Exchange Grants (EMBO)
Travel Subsidies (Fritz Thyssen Foundation)
HAB short term stipend (Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel)
JSPS Summer Program (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)
Short-term research grants (Minerva Stiftung)
Travelling Fellowships (The Company of Biologists)
Bilateral exchange programs
Bilateral Scientist Exchange Program (DAAD)
Lecture/teaching travel substitutes
Visiting Scholar Program (Fulbright Commission)
Conference/workshop substitutes and support for conference organisation
Marie Curie Micro Grants (Marie Curie Alumni Association)
Stipends for conference organization (Fritz Thyssen Foundation)